What's next?
by cryptid-hoe
Summary: Even after the humans find out magic is real, there's still secrets and information that need to be shared on both sides.


Trixie glared at her locker, muttering under her breath as she tried unsuccessfully to open it.

"You know you have to turn the combination, right?" Spud asked. "Or did they make like, new lockers that don't have a combination?"

"What the fuck Spud? No they didn't make a new locker that doesn't have a combination. Goddamn boy, sometimes I wonder if there's a brain in your head." She rolled her eyes and got her locker open.

"Well _somebody's _having a shitty day," Jake observed. "Also you look like death warmed over and smell like you haven't slept in a week. What's up?"

"How do I _smell _like…"

"Changes in your body chemistry," Jake explained. "It has to do with, you know, that thing..."

"What thing?" Spud asked. "You mean being a dra…"

"Yeah that, and can we not talk about that in school?" Jake cut in, looking around like someone might've heard.

Trixie realized. "Okay. So. You can smell that. Great. Yeah, I've barely slept in the last month."

"Why?"

_Uhhh because I almost got you killed and put maybe thousands of people's safety at risk over a stupid vase that _you _somehow bought for _me _and the whole reason I was even able to do that was because of some freak ass little bitch who _tried to kill you _and I can't stop feeling guilty and you still don't know how we found out so I'm totally screwing up and I'm the worst friend ever? _She'd been wanting to tell Jake the truth ever since the day she'd found out he was a dragon, or half-dragon or a human who could turn into a dragon or a dragon who could look human or whatever, she was still having trouble wrapping her mind around it all and felt weird about asking, but he would totally hate them both if he ever found out she and Spud had been the ones who _literally sold him _in the first place. She still had nightmares about what could have happened to Jake and god knows how many other magical creatures if he hadn't gotten out of there safely.

"It's a human thing," Trixie eventually said as they walked out the door, making sure to keep her voice low to keep from being overheard.

"Okay, I'm half human," Jake replied.

Okay. Half human, half dragon. Trixie was guessing his dad was the human, since one of the first things Jake had asked of her and Spud when they found out was to not ever talk about magical stuff in front of his dad. Except how the hell did his _grandpa_, on his _mom's _side, look human sometimes too? And what was up with his mom, where she looked human all the time?

"So like, how does that work?" Spud asked. "Because I've been wondering for awhile."

"Human dad, dragon mom. That's literally the whole thing," Jake said with a shrug.

"No like anatomically," Spud elaborated. "Like how do a dragon and a human even have sex?"

Jake looked like he was going to choke on his own tongue. He stopped his skateboard with his foot. "I don't really want to picture my parents fucking. Can we drop the subject?"

"I mean, when we found you, I couldn't see anything down there but I also wasn't really looking so like how does it happen though?" Spud pressed. "Or like, since it's your _dad _that's human, how would it work for a girl dragon? Did you hatch from an egg because that's _awesome."_

"Dragons can get pregnant and have sex just like humans," Jake muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and blushing fiercely. "But like since the one we're talking about is _my mom_, I don't really want to think about it." Trixie couldn't help but laugh at his expression, even though she felt bad for him. Sometimes Spud just couldn't take a hint. "Also what do you mean, when you found me? Like in the back of that truck?"

"No, like when we found you in the alley," Spud explained. "Like before we sold you."

"...Wait what?" Jake asked, startled.

Trixie suddenly couldn't look her best friend in the eye.

"Trix, what happened? You smell like guilt."

"I _am _guilty," she said, suddenly having to blink back tears. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Jake, I'm so, so sorry, I had _no idea _I swear and I never would have even thought about it if I'd known and I swear you can trust me, you can trust both of us, I'm just really sorry…"

"Hey, slow down and don't cry," he said, surprisingly gently. The three of them picked up their skateboards and moved to a nearby bench. "So I'm guessing this is how I ended up in Rotwood's armed car?"

Spud, on Trixie's other side, stared at the ground. "We're really sorry, dude. I mean, I guess we should have said that before, but like...you know what, there's no excuse and I know an apology is too little, too late, but…"

"Okay." Jake exhaled, running a hand through his green-streaked black hair. Wait, had he ever actually dyed it or was that a dragon thing too? "Give me a minute to process. First of all, are you sorry for doing it at all or are you sorry you did it to _me_? And if you'd known dragons were actually, like, _people, _would you have done the same thing? Because a vase isn't worth risking somebody's _life_. Scales, photos, as long as you ask me first...sure. I can just get those back. Just not _fucking selling a person. _Especially a person who was obviously injured. What the hell, guys?"

"I get it if you hate me," Trixie said quietly, feeling her heart break. "Like even if you never want to speak to me or Spud again."

"I'm _mad_, especially since you lied to me about it _for an entire month _and put my family in danger and probably a ton of other magical creatures too, even if it was an accident and you didn't know. And _even after that, _I didn't wipe either of your memories because I trusted you enough not to. But I don't hate you." He thought for a moment. "I probably should have guessed before now anyway. How else would you have known where I was? And how did you even find out it was me?"

"You had some pictures on your computer," Spud said, looking a little nervous. Neither of the two humans thought Jake would hurt them - if he'd _wanted _to, he could have easily a long time ago - but it never felt good to betray your best friend like this. "What was that even about, anyway? You know what, you don't have to answer that or explain yourself to me. Like, at all. I know I fucked up, okay man? We both did."

"You went a long way past fucking up. You both did. But...I also kind of get it. Kind of. Like, if the tables were turned and I was desperate, I might have done the same thing. But, like, Trix, even if I hadn't been able to buy the vase, wouldn't your mom have gotten that it was an accident? I mean, we're just kids. And even if she didn't, and you thought dragons were just animals and not really comparable to humans, would you have sold an injured stray dog to be experimented on?"

"No!" Trixie said, horrified. "That's animal cruelty. I ain't about that shit."

"Exactly," Jake said. "You'd take it to a vet. Even it could have hurt you. So it's fucked up. It's beyond fucked up. And by the way, I did try to get the reward. Twice. Rotwood thought the scales and photos I gave him were fake."

"You...you didn't have to do that for me," Trixie said, tearing up a little as she realized where exactly he'd gotten those things. "But that is so unbelievably sweet. Thanks for trying, Jakey." She wanted to hug him, but thought better of it. He probably didn't want her touching him right now.

Jake shrugged. "Like I said, I could have gotten those back. Even if I hadn't, anybody he showed them to would have just thought they, my scales I mean, were from some animal, maybe a lizard or something. It's not like it's painful to remove a few scales either. No more than picking at your skin. And a lot of humans would have written just the photos off as really good editing. It's not like this is the first time humans have tried to expose the magical world, it's just the first time in a while that they've come close to succeeding. And it wouldn't have _gotten _that close if you hadn't...hadn't sold me. Like, a literal _dragon _being _right there _is a little harder to dismiss as a hoax."

"I _wasn't _trying to -"

"I meant Rotwood. I know you didn't think you were putting anyone in danger, especially not me. But okay. Good to know."

"Jakey, I really am sorry," she said quietly. "I know it's not enough, but I am."

"Me too, bro," added Spud.

"I know," Jake said. "Do Gramps and Fu know how you found out? Or Haley and my mom?"

"Fu Dog and ya gramps do," Trixie admitted. "We had no idea what to do and we weren't sure whether to tell your parents, but you know I always thought there was something a little funky going on with you always being at that shop. So we told them what happened and they tried to deny dragons being real and all but then Fu said not to bother 'cause we already knew anyway and then I freaked out about him talking."

"I don't know if you know this, Jake, but normal dogs don't talk," Spud added helpfully.

"Uh, Spud? I was _born _in the human world. I grew up like a human kid. I know how it works," Jake responded, rolling his eyes.

"Oh yeah," Spud remembered.

"You seem calmer, Jakey," Trixie observed. "Does that mean you don't hate us anymore?"

"I didn't hate you in the first place," Jake reminded her. "I'm not _happy _about what happened. It's really fucking scary to wake up when you get hurt like that and realize you're trapped somewhere and just like, vulnerable and you can't do anything about it. But you did try to make amends, you know? Getting me out of there. So it's not really fair to hold it over you forever. Just don't do it again."

They both eagerly promised that they wouldn't.

"Hey, Jake?" Spud asked. "What did you mean when you mentioned wiping our memories?"


End file.
